The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found "significant deficiencies" in GWA drinking water systems.

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inspection and sanitary survey identified numerous deficiencies in the utility's drinking water supply systems, U.S. EPA announced today.

While the systems' deficiencies do not pose an immediate health threat, EPA's inspection revealed a pattern of poor maintenance that could lead to further deterioration eventually impacting water quality, U.S. EPA stated. Currently, the systems' only violation is an excessive level of chemicals formed as a by-product of the disinfection process used to control harmful microbes, U.S. EPA stated.

Here's the rest of the EPA statement. This story is developing:

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act gives GWA 45 days from receipt of the letter to consult with EPA on how it intends to address the 40 significant deficiencies. GWA must provide a detailed plan and schedule to address the deficiencies identified. This could include actions the utility can undertake quickly to fix the facilities, such as closing direct openings into wellheads and storage tanks; correcting chlorination/disinfection problems; fixing flooded valve vaults that could allow contamination to enter into the drinking water system; and repairing broken or poorly functioning equipment.

The plan should also identify specific actions to address longer term deficiencies associated with maintenance and operational aspects of the system, and address the compliance deficiencies identified, to ensure the continuing and future safety of the water supply.

The inspection report also noted that the following regulated chemical contaminants, chlordane, ethylene dibromide, perchloroethylene and trichloroethyelene have been found in GWA drinking water wells, but currently there are no drinking water quality violations for these contaminants.

A copy of the letter and the inspection report will be provided to the U.S. District Court of Guam to keep the court informed, as they relate to EPA's current enforcement action against GWA. The EPA letter and more information about the EPA Pacific Southwest's drinking water programs, is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region9/water/drinking/dw-enforcement.html.